Great Idea! Sports help keep the habit kicked!

This is one of those stories that just makes you feel good. From Denver comes a report of a man whose heroin habit led to a brush with death and a changed life. When he was back on his feet, he tried various ways to stay clean. Eventually, he found a support group that offered an athletic program. The man, Nick Nisbet, said that turned out to be the best move he ever made. Nisbet's dramatic story is featured in a CNN report that I feel is must reading for anyone interested in this subject. To see it <click here>
Nisbet's story makes a couple of points, in addition to its obvious main theme of the positive victory for him.
First, we continue to be convinced that the 'cookie-cutter', 'one-size-fits-all' treatment regimens should not be expected to work in all situations. An approach that gives spectacular results for one person may not work at all for the next. Differences between individuals would account for this. Nisbet described many attempts, methadone, cold turkey, 12-step meetings, before finally finding the one that hit the target for him. It's hard to deny that different things work for different people. His initial reaction to the athletic program was negative, however, he found himself changing his mind as he began to see the results. Individual results are what matters.
Second, the story paints the experience of Scott Strode who started drinking, graduated to cocaine, and woke up one morning with the realization that a change had to happen. He described how that decision also caused leaving his social network, "...your friends are gone, you're alone" as he went into a period of recovery that was marked by depression. He made it through, got involved with a sports program where those around him were sober. As his involvement grew, he moved farther and farther from the life of addiction.
These experiences show that recovery has to begin with a decision, and may involve a tough transition. The process also involves new associations and different experiences. The people in the new environment are an essential component of the recovery. Just as an old support structure maintained the person in his addiction, a new circle of friends is necessary to carry him through his recovery.